I always make fun of Jeff because he loves expensive sandwiches. In an effort to save us some money, I made it a point to try to recreate the expensive sandwich experience at home. I started by choosing a “special sauce”–which seems to be the backbone of any overpriced gourmet sandwich. After scouring my cookbooks and the internet for ideas, I finally settled on Tom Colicchio’s balsamic onion marmalade.

You can make this marmalade with any type of onion–red, yellow, Vidalia, Spanish, Maui, whatever your heart desires. Each type of onion will add a unique taste and texture to the marmalade. I decided to go with Walla Walla to keep it sweet and local.

I spread my balsamic onion marmalade on a baguette with turkey and goat brie and wow did this take your average sandwich to the next level. This sweet, tangy, and savory marmalade can be used on absolutely anything–pizza, cheese and crackers, burgers, and more. Jeff was very impressed!

Balsamic Onion Marmalade
Slightly adapted from ‘wichcraft via Serious Eats

Yield: 2 to 3 cups

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or dutch oven over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are soft.
2. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the onions appear dry.
3. Add the vinegar and reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, until the onions are soft and dry. Add additional salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store the marmalade in the refrigerator.

Cut the onions in half from top to bottom, then slice thinly into half moon shapes.

My Le Creuset worked perfectly for cooking down the onions, but a heavy skillet will work as well.

Since I used sweet Walla Walla onions, I cut down the sugar by about a tablespoon. If you are using a sweet variety, you may consider doing this.

Keep you marmalade in an airtight container in a the fridge. It should keep for several weeks.

Get creative with your marmalade. I also made a smoked mozzarella, balsamic onion marmalade, and fig pizza. It was amazeballs!